


The Blue Beetle Comes Out of His Shell: Jaime's Identity is Exposed to Everyone

by reader1718



Category: Blue Beetle (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-05 14:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3123944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reader1718/pseuds/reader1718





	The Blue Beetle Comes Out of His Shell: Jaime's Identity is Exposed to Everyone

The Blue Beetle Comes Out of His Shell: Jaime's Identity is Exposed to Everyone

CHARACTERS: JAIME REYES/BLUE BEETLE (HI-may RAY-as): Jaime is the 3rd individual to take up the mantle of the Blue Beetle. Jaime found the blue scarab in a parking lot in his hometown of El Paso after it had traveled there from a pyramid halfway across the world. He took it home and while he slept, it awakened and fused to his spine, making him the new Blue Beetle. Jaime teamed up with Batman and defeated Kanjar Ro in a previous battle on a distant planet where he led the planet's inhabitants to find "the power within", enabling them to banish Kanjar Ro from their planet. After the battle, Jaime and Batman continued what they had been doing when they were called to fight Kanjar Ro---stopping a comet from hitting the Earth. This battle was Jaime's first encounter with the Gamma Gong, the only known device that can cause the scarab to detach from its' host.

"Hey, Paco!" Jaime Reyes called as he walked into school that morning. "Hi, Jaime!" Paco shouted, returning his friend's greeting. He and Jaime had been best friends since they were little kids and they really enjoyed hanging out together, but lately, Jaime had been acting really weird. Several times Paco had come over to watch Batman's latest exploits with Jaime and even though his mom said he was in his room, Paco found an empty room with the window open every time. It started to make him wonder where Jaime went all the time. Now Jaime was doing stuff that was even weirder, Paco noted, as they walked to class and Jaime's cell phone rang. Jaime ran off around the corner to take the call, so Paco decided to listen in and heard some strange comments coming from his best friend. "Bats, I'm fine. I guess it's just lucky that K-Ro can't find me here. Otherwise, I'd be in a lot of trouble right now. At least my little blue buddy isn't giving off an energy signature he can...wait, what? It is? Right now? Oh, man, this isn't good. If he finds me, he'll totally kill me and anyone who gets in his way. Wait, you're going to what? No, no. You coming here would draw far too much attention to me and that's the last thing I need right now. I can handle this, okay? As long as he doesn't use the Gong on me, I'm fine. All right, all right, but only if there's trouble, okay? All right. Talk to you later. Bye," Jaime said, closing his phone and returning to Paco. Paco tried to ask Jaime who he'd been talking to and what their conversation had been about since he'd only heard Jaime's end of it, but Jaime just changed the subject as the bell rang signaling they needed to get to class soon. So Paco resigned himself to being kept in the dark as they headed to class. However neither Jaime nor Paco knew that in a few moments Jaime's two worlds and two identities---himself and the Blue Beetle---were about to collide and his friend and classmates were about to learn Jaime's biggest secret.

Jaime and Paco were in their history class bored out of their minds as their teacher, Ms. Jameson, lectured on World War II. Jaime was thinking about going after criminals as the Blue Beetle instead of what his teacher was teaching. "...and so began World War II. But the United States didn't officially enter the war until later because...may I help you?" the teacher asked, trailing off as she noticed a strange man standing in the doorway. Jaime took one look and gasped aloud as he recognized Kanjar Ro. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. What is he doing here? Bats did say he was tracking me, but I didn't think he'd show up this soon. At least he doesn't have the Gong, right? As long as he doesn't have that, I'm safe," Jaime babbled nervously, panicking. Just then, Kanjar Ro spoke. "I know you're here, boy. I don't know which one of these pathetic humans you are, but there is one way I can find out," he said. Just then, Jaime saw he was holding the Gamma Gong, the one thing that could separate the scarab from him, albeit painfully, so he immediately started scrunching down in his seat, hoping that Kanjar Ro wouldn't see him. But then, K-Ro started playing the Gong, sending waves of pain shooting through Jaime's body as he felt the scarab's pain like his own, making him scream. "Ahhhhh! Stop it, please! It hurts!" Jaime cried, as the pain continued. Paco wondered what was wrong with his best friend. Then he noticed that Jaime's shirt had ridden up, revealing the lower half of his back, where a blue bug-like thing clung to his friend's spine. "Eww, gross! Jaime, what is that thing on your back? Some oversized pimple or something?!" Paco asked him. "No, that's a blue scarab, and not just any blue scarab, it's the blue scarab that gives me my powers. It's permanently bonded to my spine symbiotically. Whatever it feels, I do. It talks to me in a way. It can only be removed from me very painfully by playing the Gamma Gong, that device he's holding. I inherited the scarab from the last Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, and I became his successor," Jaime explained through all the nerve-wracking waves of pain shooting through his body.

Paco couldn't believe it. Jaime was a super hero? This was just too much to believe, that his best friend could possibly be living the dream of every kid---having super powers and saving the world. Paco immediately decided to do anything to make sure Jaime was no longer at the mercy of the Gamma Gong, and so did his classmates and teacher. Just then, Batman arrived and he had enlisted the help of the sorcerer, Fate, to take the Gong someplace where Kanjar Ro couldn't find it and use it against Jaime again. Then Paco and all the others managed to support Jaime and get him outside so he could have room to fight Kanjar Ro. When K-Ro finally did show himself outside, Jaime was ready. He armored up and fought Kanjar Ro to a standstill, amazing his friends with his abilities. Finally, K-Ro was defeated and everyone cheered as Jaime finally de-armored. They all headed back inside to attempt to finish the school day, although no one could concentrate on any schoolwork after the events of that day.


End file.
